Patriots' Antonio Brown Is No Longer Nike Athlete Amid Sexual Assault Allegations
Patriots wide receiver Antonio Brown is no longer a Nike athlete amid allegations of sexual assault, according toThe Boston Globe's Michael Silverman.
A spokesperson for Nike told the Globe on Wednesday night that "Antonio Brown is not a Nike athlete." When asked to elaborate on the reasoning or clarify the timing, the spokesperson declined.
While no reason was given for the decision, Brown is facing two separate allegations of sexual misconduct, which surfaced over the last two weeks.
As first reported by The New York Times, Brown allegedly sexually assaulted and raped his former trainer Britney Taylor over several instances in 2017 and 2018. Taylor filed a federal lawsuit over the incidents. She reportedly met with the NFL about all of the accusations on Monday in a 10-hour meeting, and the Allegheny County District Attorney's office and the police department have reached out to Taylor's lawyer over the allegations.
As reported by The MMQB's Robert Klemko, Brown faces a second allegation of sexual misconduct from an artist who he hired to paint a mural for him in his Pittsburgh-area home. Brown's attorney, Darren Heitner, issued statements in response to the accusations by both women, denying the allegations against his client. Through Heitner, Brown claimed he and Taylor were engaged in a "consensual personal relationship" and that any sexual interaction was "entirely consensual."
As of Thursday morning, according to the Globe, an old shoe of Brown's no longer appears on the Nike website but several shirts from Brown's time with the Raiders and Steelers are still offered.
After a tumultuous offseason in Oakland, Brown was released by the Raiders on Sept. 7 morning after a series of incidents. The four-time All-Pro previously asked for his release after the Raiders voided $29.125 million in contract guarantees due to conduct detrimental to the team. Brown later signed with the Patriots on the same day he was released from the Oakland.
Brown played his first game for New England on Sunday. He recorded four receptions for 56 yards and one touchdown in the Patriots' 43-0 win over the Dolphins.
